The Succession
= The Succession = The Carthaxian Conclave is becoming increasingly divided. Lord Inquisitor Grolin's health is deteriorating but so far no clear successor has been identified and a number of possible candidates are attempting to manoeuvre themselves into positions of power and influence. For now, Lord Inquisitor Grolin is maintaining his grip on the conclave, but it is unclear how much longer this can continue. The Initial Announcement + To: All members of the Carthaxian Conclave + Priority: Alpha + Subject: Death of Lord Grolin It is with deep regret that I must announce that this morning Lord Inquisitor Marcus Grolin, head of the Carthaxian Conclave, was found dead in his private study by members of his household staff. Lord Grolin, aged 317, has been a member of the Carthaxian Conclave for a little over two centuries. During much of his long and glorious career he was a member the Ordo Hereticus, eventually rising to the position of Master of that Ordo. He was later invited to succeed Lord Roemar as head of the Carthaxian Conclave, a position he has held for almost sixty years. Notable events in his career include Scourging of the Folixian Cult, the Prosecution of General Fangorn, and the Trial of Inquisitor Yund. Lord Grolin had been suffering continuing health problems for some time, and it is believed that these were the cause of his death; however, as is customary in these circumstances, a full investigation will be carried out to verify this. I know that everyone will be saddened by this tragic event, and on behalf of the Carthaxian Conclave I would like to express my sympathies to Lord Grolin's friends, colleagues and members of his staff. May the Emperor watch over his spirit. Lord Inquisitor Calleia, Acting head of the Carthaxian Conclave The Conclave Is Called + To: All members of the Carthaxian Conclave + Priority: Delta + Subject: Appointment of a successor to Lord Grolin With Lord Grolin's passing, it falls to us, members of the Carthaxian Conclave, to choose his successor. As is tradition, we will now enter into a period of quiet reflection and contemplation during which we will all pray for guidance from the Emperor to ensure that we might choose wisely. Members of the Conclave are invited to meet at the Inquisitorial Fortress on Tigguo Cobauc on 0310010.M42 when Lord Grolin's successor will be appointed and announced. In the meantime I will continue to lead the Conclave during this difficult time of transition. Lord Inquisitor Calleia, Acting head of the Carthaxian Conclave The Candidates Vie For Power + To: Inquisitor Drake Kaled + From: Adept Ottokar + Subject: Candidates to succeed Lord Grolin My Lord, As requested I have compiled the following summary of the candidates who have so far stepped forward and joined the race to succeed Lord Grolin as head of the Conclave. Lord Inquisitor Calleia – Calleia is acting head of the Carthaxian Conclave and the leader of the Helios Cabal, a body of Inquisitors dedicated to combating the threat of the deadly Graveel Hegemony. Even though he has never chosen to join an Ordo, Calleia is well respected and his independence means there are many ready to support him should he be nominated to succeed Lord Grolin. Inquisitor Lord Praetus – Lord Praetus has led the Ordo Hereticus in the Carthax Sector for over a century. In the past he was seen as the frontrunner to succeed Lord Grolin; however he is becoming rather frail and it may be that he is physically not up to the demands of the role. Despite this fact, there are still many within the Conclave who would back him. Lady Inquisitrix Ingrid Zwolak – Lady Ingrid heads a cell of Amalathians operating in the Carthax Sector and is a leading candidate to succeed Lord Grolin. Several months ago, dark rumours surfaced claiming Zwolak was being manipulated by dark forces. A thorough investigation has cleared her of any taint and her popularity remains as strong as ever. Should there be some dark secret in Zwolak's past, she may be the ideal candidate for someone willing to use blackmail to control the head of the Carthaxian Conclave. Inquisitor Iacton Regis – Regis is well respected as a learned and scholarly Inquisitor. He retired from the field three decades ago and is seldom seen outside the the Inquisitorial Library on Farness II. Many feel that his centuries of service and well-rounded career would make him an ideal Inquisitor Lord. For an Inquisitor Ordinary to be elected head of the Carthaxian Conclave is unheard of, however there are many who would be ready to support Regis. Inquisitor Ze Thiago – Almost nothing is known of Inquisitor Thiago. He announced his presence in the sector at the last meeting of the Conclave and since then has kept a low profile but rumours persist that he seeks the lordship. Those who have met him appear to dislike him intensely and many rumours surround him. Some claim that his secret is as simple as him being a Pariah, others that he is touched by the dark powers. There have even been claims that he is an infil-traitor placed within the Conclave by powers unknown. Despite all this, it is said that he has the support to contest the election. As you know, High Conclave called by Calleia is still some months away and it is entirely possible that additional candidates will reveal themselves over the coming weeks. Currently none of the above candidates have overwhelming support and my information suggests that immediately prior to the High Conclave we will see evidence of increased campaigning, as potential candidates attempt to drum up as much support as possible both within the Holy Ordos and the Adeptus Terra. Also, as is usual in these situations, I expect that a number of lesser candidates will submit reports to the Conclave detailing the many foes they have vanquished and the catastrophes they have averted in an attempt to increase their standing and remind their peers of their prowess. Your servant, Ottokar Political Intrigue In the events leading up to the election, numerous Inquisitors were vying for political support. Ultimately, it was Inquisitors Necris, Goddard and Lord Smogg who found themselves in the position to place nominations - Inquisitors Necris and Goddard nominated themselves for the role, Lord Smogg stood in support of Lord Inquisitor Calleia. The High Conclave The High Conclave was held on 310010.M42. In conformance with Carthaxian tradition, the voting was considered final, with no recounts or re-runs. To ensure the legitimacy of the vote, weapons were not permitted within the ballot hall. Despite this precaution, two assassination attempts were launched at the High Conclave. Lord Inquisitor Calleia was attacked with an unknown plasma weapon, and Inquisitor Necris was pushed from a rooftop within the fortress by an attacker who then fired upon nearby witnesses. Although injured, Lord Inquisitor Calleia was ultimately elected head of the Carthaxian Conclave by his majority in the cast votes. A Successor Is Chosen + To: All members of the Carthaxian Conclave + Priority: Alpha + Subject: Election of the new Inquisitor Lord Carthaxian Esteemed members of the Conclave, It is with great pleasure that I can announce that Lord Inquisitor Calleia has been elected head of the Carthaxian Conclave. The ballot of the Conclave's members took place yesterday at the Inquisitorial Fortress on Tigguo Cobauc, and resulted in Calleia winning the support of a majority of the Conclave's members. The opposing candidates were Inquisitors Goddard and Necris, whose long service and many great deeds earned them nominations, but were not enough secure the votes of their peers. Calleia's majority gives him a clear mandate to lead the Conclave and, as is tradition, he was formally sworn into office at midnight. Lord Calleia will make a speech to the Conclave shortly, and an announcement as to who is to succeed him in his former role as head of the Helios Cabal will be made in due course. May he govern wisely in the Emperor's name. High-Savant Zarkov Chief aide to the Head of the Carthaxian Conclave Lord Calleia Takes To The Stand + To: Inquisitor Drake Kaled + From: Adept Ottokar + Subject: Transcript of Lord Calleia's Speech My Lord, Please find attached an edited transcript of Lord Calleia's inaugural speech to the Carthaxian Conclave. The vast majority of the speech was taken up by the traditional and ritualistic proceedings, with which you are already familiar, so I have taken the liberty of removing these (and any other superfluous) portions from the transcript leaving just the few sections which I believe will be of interest. I have also taken the liberty of inserting comments on the proceedings, which I hope will be of use to you. Should you require it, the complete and unedited speech is available on the Inquisitorial network. Your servant, Ottokar + Transcript Begins The Conclave has seen some turbulent times in recent months, beginning with the tragic death of my predecessor. Lord Grolin had done an exemplary job in leading the Conclave, and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Marcus Grolin was one of those who sponsored me for Inquisitorial rank and, over the long years between then and now, we became firm friends. I always looked up to Marcus as a mentor and he served as an example for me of everything an Inquisitor should be... Finally, and more devastatingly, there was the recent outrage on Carthage. The blast at the Conclave called by Lord Hess has badly depleted our numbers, so to rectify this I will be looking to you all to put forward worthy acolytes who are ready to be inducted into the Holy Ordos. My first act in this regard is to promote Lord Smogg's senior acolyte, Terwyn-Awchus, to full Inquisitorial rank - may she serve with distinction and honour. I hope that before we wrap up proceedings here at Tigguo-Cobauc there will be more new Inquisitors joining our ranks, and I trust that you will give them every support. As you will no doubt have noted, the destruction at Carthage claimed the lives of most of the Helios Cabal, and its few surviving members are spread far and wide in their efforts to combat the Graveel Hegemony. Therefore, in order to ensure that the cabal is rebuilt as soon as possible without disrupting current operations, I have decided that Inquisitor Terwyn-Awchus will take on the role of acting head of the Helios Cabal, aided by her mentor Lord Smogg. I anticipate that she will perform with distinction in this role, and I hope you will join me in wishing her every success with this difficult task. As you are all aware, the ballot proceedings were marred by a series of 'incidents'. I have already asked a number of Inquisitors to help track down my would-be assassin, and a parallel investigation is on-going into the attempted murder of Inquisitor Necris. Currently I am not treating these incidents as being related, however that may change as further evidence comes to light. Most disturbing of all, there have also been reports that the heretic known variously as Zophar or Sarthuul managed to infiltrate the Inquisitorial Fortress during the Conclave. This action cannot be tolerated, and I have ordered Commander D'Val to carry out a full security review to determine the circumstances and extent of the infiltration. Apprehension of Zophar/Sarthuul is considered a high priority task, and I ask that any sightings should be reported to me directly. + Transcript Ends Real World Notes The Succession was the Spring 2010 Inquisitor event run by members of the Conclave forums. It was a one day event run at Warhammer World on the 24th of April 2010 by the organisers, David "Kaled" Knowles and Rob "RobSkib" Skene. The event campaign pack can be found here.